Books VII...

Barbara and Stephanie Keating are the authors of a lovely book about friendship, " Blood Sisters" or "Irmãs de Sangue"

The action takes place in Africa, Kenya in 1957, during the domination of the country by the British. Throughout it, we become witnesses of the conflicts that get, sometimes, serious between the local people and the whites.

This book tells the story of the country by following the lives of three girls, an Irish, an Afrikander and a British one. They swear never to break the bond of blood that unites them.

Nevertheless, their lives are going to be very different and they need to struggle in the distance to remain as close as they have always been.

This is a long narrative of love, friendship, family relationships and tragedy, too.

"Blood Sisters" is indeed a touching novel, that reveals the readers not only the conflicts and problems of races, but also a beautiful country that can be amazingly beautiful in its wild life and nature but cruel and rutheless at times.

A book to read while school doesn't start.

BooksVI...

"The Righteous Men", written by Sam Bourne, in Portuguese translated as " Os 36 Homens Justos" is an intriguing story of murders, Kidnap and a very ancient culture, the Jewish, that takes place mainly in New York ( although deaths are connected in many distant parts of the planet) and involves a journalist and his wife as being the central characters in the book.

Will Monroe sees himself caught in a series of events that end up in his quest to save his wife from the hands of her kidnappers. He is forced to learn about the Jewish traditions, to solve mysterious messages and to run against the clock, which might in the end save his wife and ultimately the World from total destruction.

Reading the book is a journey into the secret worlds of Fundamentalism, Misticism and Biblical Prophecies.

For those who love mystery and intrigue with a little touch of a thriller this is the book to read in these Summer days, or nights. I must confess that as usual, whenever I get enthusiastic with a book it's quite hard to stop. I enjoyed it.

Awards...

These awards were offered me by Patrícia.

They are a recognition of the power this blog has to convey messages to others, in particular to my students, to whom I dedicate this post.

Thank you for being there with me.

Now, I do nominate Inácio to get these awards for his excellent blog.

It's good...

It's wonderful to plan holidays. To go away and forget our routines.

But I'd say that to return it's even better.

On Holiday...

I'm going away for a short holiday.

I'll come back soon.

Enjoy yourselves!

Beijing 2008...

People walking on the streets of Beijing know that it will be extremely difficult for an high competition athlete to practice in the city, let alone try to be the best in the most important competition in the world - The Olympic Games.

The smoke is a constant and there are days in which at three o'clock it is already necessary to put the car lights on so that they can circulate in the city. We might be led to think that there is a fire somewhere, but the scenario is current.

The fact is that the many obsolete factories expell toxic smokes into the atmosphere. Armament, electronic products and the chemical industry are the worst contributors to this heavy line of pollution.

Most inhabitants wear masks, and everybody is aware that walking in the city is the equivalent to smoking four packets of cigarettes

Meetings with the different national olympic committees are starting to bother the Chinese government, as there are several delegations that say that unless the pollution levels diminish they won't participate in the event. So, the Chinese authorities are making efforts to clear the city from that cloudy dark atmosphere. They claim that in 2008 the sky will be bright and blue not only in Beijing but around the capital.

The government is enforcing some laws to clear the city from the polluting sources as well as encouraging industrialists to recycle the industrial waste. At the same time, the sanitary authorities are inspecting restaurants and public facilities to increase hygiene and safety for all the foreign visitors expected during the next Olympic Games.

I do hope they are successful for the sake of the athletes health and to enhance the beauty of the Olympic Games in 2008.

About Love...

There are no perfect keys or miraculous recipes.

To choose is tough, to find is luck, living together is an art. The rest, life will make sure to offer it...

in Máxima

Bullfighting...

Every Summer, Portugal, particularly in the centre and south of the country, is a stage of the so called " Festa Brava" or "Fiesta" in Spanish, an event immortalized by Hemmingway in his book " The Sun Also Rises".

Bullfighting is a tradition that is kept year after year conquering " aficionados" from all quotes of society.

Bullfighting takes place in an arena but unlike in Spain the bull isn't killed. However, this rises the question of animal suffering. Some associations of animal rights defense organise demonstrations to call for people's awareness to the issue.

Is this mere cruelty to animals or does it represent a way of life, a cultural tradition that is respected in Portugal, Spain and other countries?

False...

These are some facts that are known as true by most people. Scientists proved they are wrong.

Men use only 10% of their brain - this is a myth that lasts for almost a century. Fortunately it isn't right, science has demonstrated that we use most of our brain.

Men think of sex every seven seconds - men are usually sexually more active, but there are no studies made that prove that kind of thoughts.

Dogs can predict natural catastrophes - there is no evidence of a sixth sense in dogs. What happens is that dog's senses are very sharp what allows them to sense quickly a tsunami or an earthquake.

Chewing gums take sevn years to be digested - chewing gums are digested like any other food. doctors believe that the myth was spread to avoid kids from swallowing them.

The Great Wall Of China is the only visible monument from space - that is not true. Astronauts near the the terrestrial orbit say they can even see the landing ground in airports.

A Special Day...

Today, the sun shines brightly for you.

Your beautiful smile is always there for everybody.

So I wish you a "Happy Birthday".

for Patrícia, a dear friend!